Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/03/12

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Subject: RE: [Leica] epson digital RF report pages
From: "B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net>
Date: Fri, 12 Mar 2004 10:22:19 -0500

Sorry, Sam, but this is just so much - noise.

Most of my work does NOT require instant turn around, and I am not being
forced by any bosses to go with digital. But I am finding more and more
that not only is digital giving me - in most cases - the quality film
gives me - but it is also giving me more options.

*Digital gives me the ability to shoot color and have much easier
control over that color - without paying for color film or processing.

*Digital gives me the ability to have 12 - count 'em - 24 different film
types in my camera for each and every shot - 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600,
and 3200 asa daylight color film; 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, and 3200
tungsten color film; 100,200,400,800,1600, and 3200 asa pan black and
white film; and 100, 200,400,800,1600, and 3200 asa ortho black and
white film.

*Digital gives me the freedom to shoot for my own pleasure without
worrying for a nanosecond about cost; cost may not be an issue for you,
but it sure is for me, and cost constraints severely limit my personal
shooting when I'm using film.

*Digital gives me instant feedback - when and if I want it - to adjust
exposure, color balance, etc. - and make sure that I'm getting what I
want.

*Digital cuts my time to output IF I'm going quick and dirty. If I'm
going for quality, there is as much time involved in digital post-shoot
work as there is in scanning and printing film.

Sure, digital is evolving, and will continue to evolve. But so what.
Would you have poo-poohed early 35 mm as just some capitalistic plot
designed to dump excess movie stock the way you poo-pooh digital.

No one is saying you have to shoot digital. You can - and I'd guess will
- - keep shooting primarilly film until you die. That's your choice and
right. And if that's the way you can produce the best photography for
you, that's what you should do.

But recognize that digital isn't some weird fad, dreamed up to sell
cameras. Digital is most of the present, and all but a minute fraction
of the future of photography.

B. D.

- -----Original Message-----
From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
[mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us] On Behalf Of Sam
Sent: Thursday, March 11, 2004 6:30 PM
To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Subject: Re: [Leica] epson digital RF report pages


No, I'm saying we are going through a period in which just about 
everyone believes they need a digital camera, and if they had one so 
many things would be done better. Even those people who are forced to 
use digital because it's been imposed on them by bosses are merely being

compelled by the forces of whim. If getting more pictures faster is 
important to a news outlet (for example), why the hell is the news 85% 
nonessential garbage? Are there any signs that digital has improved 
anything? None. To the vast majority it's a novelty made to appear like 
a need. It's much like when the first 8 bit home computers became 
available. How much serious work was done on Atari 800s and Commodore 
64s? Not much, but they were made to sound as if your whole life would 
be dramatically changed. Instead of dramatic change we got Pac Man.

Sam S


mail@steveunsworth.co.uk wrote:

>Sam
>
>Are you saying that digital in itself is a fad and will soon go away?
>
>Regards
>
>Steve
>
>Sam <sam@osheaven.net> wrote on 11.03.2004, 18:29:51:
>
>  
>
>>Besides, digital is faddish at the moment and not dependent on logic.
>>
>>Sam S
>>    
>>
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